Blogging Basics // My Tips & Advice

When I first started writing Couture Girl back in November 2011, I didn't have a clue what I was doing. For me, blogging was a very spontaneous decision and as I signed up to blogger and saw at the screen staring back at me, I was flumoxed. I didn't have a clue where to begin - how do I get my blog to look nice? How should I write my first post? How to I get my photos to look pretty? Is anyone actually reading this? were just a few of the questions flying through my mind. However, after lots of trial and error and a bit of googling, I eventually found my way. Yes my earlier blog posts are a tad cringey but I like to glance back at them now and again as they remind me just how far I've come in less than 18 months. Now although I managed to find my way around Blogger, I wouldn't be where I am today without the help and advice from fellow bloggers. In the first few months of writing my blog, I was constantly searching around online for posts that would give me a bit of guidance and advice from established bloggers (by this I mean they'd been blogging for a long time) and let me tell you, I learnt a lot. To this day, blogging tips & advice posts are one of my favourite types to read. I love reading about other peoples blogging journeys and gaining some advice from their experience.

To be honest, I never thought I'd be someone anyone would turn to for blogging advice but low and behold one of the most frequent emails I receive are from girls (and the occasional boy) asking me for some advice on starting and maintaining a blog. Its extremely flattering to receive these kind of emails and if I can help anyone and give them that little push I know I'd of loved to receive when I first started out, I'm 100% willing to. This brings me on to the purpose of this post - a guide to blogging basics. I thought it would be useful to discuss everything I've learnt over my time as a blogger from how to start a blog to promoting it and getting yourself 'out there'. I'd also like to add a small disclaimer that the 'advice' I'm giving is just my personal advice and whats worked for me. I'm by no means saying you must do these things as I realise all blogs are individual. However, if you're feeling a little lost with where to start and are looking for a push in the right direction, I hope this helps! So after the longest introduction in the history of blog posts, lets get started ...

Platform & Naming your Blog

When it comes to starting a blog, the very first thing you need to think about is which platform you're going to use. By platform I mean the place where your blog will be viewed by other people and the most popular options out there are Blogger, Wordpress or your own domain. When I first started, I actually used Wordpress but after a couple of days of faffing around, I just couldn't get to grips with it. I then decided to sign up to Blogger, a Google owned website used for composing and publishing blog posts. Its really simple to sign up, all you do is pop your email in, think of a password and wallah, your good to go. I know Wordpress is a bit more confusing and technical but if you're good with that kind of thing, give it a try. You could also buy your own domain right from the beginning which means your website is self-hosted. I'm not entirely sure how this works though as I've always been happy using Blogger. I think its best to experiment at the beginning before anyone even reads your blog and that way you can find out which platform works best for you.

As for naming your blog - let your imagination run wild and think of something catchy and fun. I actually named my blog after my love of Juicy Couture perfume and when my boyfriend said 'how about Couture Girl', I just went with it. Thanks Matt! ;) My only piece of advice when naming your blog would be to use something fairly short and easy to remember. You don't want it to be too much of a mouthful so try to keep it short and sweet. Also, don't use anything that could offend someone. Swear words are a no-go!

Layout

So after you've got your blog set up and you're ready to start posting, you might want to think about adding a few important things to your layout. When I first started, I didn't realise you had to add the Google Friend Connect widget (the thing people use to follow you) in the layout section, so for a while I wrote a blog that nobody could follow - not very useful. To add the GFC widget, all you need to do is go to your blogger layout and click 'add a widget'. You'll get a few options but the followers one is definitely the most important when starting out. Once you've added this you might want to think about adding links to the places people can contact you like your social media websites and your email address. If you don't want to share this information just yet, thats fine, but being easily contactable means the people reading your blog will be more likely to get in touch and want to get to know a bit more about you.

The next thing your going to want to think about is how your blog will look. In terms of colour scheme and where everything is placed - thats entirely up to you. However, if I was to offer any advice it would be to ensure the background behind your posts is white (its more visually pleasing to the eye and easier to read text on), stick to a none-swirly font thats easy to read and keep things simple. I personally find it very difficult to read blogs that have lots of distractions like neon colours, flashing icons or swirly fonts. Less is definitely more! I'd also consider adding a photo and description of yourself near the top of your blog. It will instantly make your blog more relatable as we all like to know a bit about the person whose blog we're reading. Make sure your newly added followers widget and contact information are near the top of your blog too, people don't like having to search for a way to follow you so make sure its easy to find and more people are likely to click 'join this site'.

Design

Blog design was the BAIN OF MY LIFE when I first started blogging. Being a complete techna-phobe I had no idea how to make my blog look pleasing to the eye. I remember using one of bloggers free templates to begin with and the most I could do was change the colours and font in the ever so straight-forward 'design' section of Blogger. However, after reading so many other blogs with beautiful designs, I knew I was missing something. I took to Google to find the answer and although it helped me understand what I needed to do, I still couldn't do it. I managed to whip up a ridiculous bright pink header on photoshop but other than that, I was baffled. As my followers were creeping up and more faces were appearing in my sidebar every day, I knew I needed to rope in some help. This is when I took to Twitter to ask if anyone offered blog designs for a reasonable price and someone offered to make me a new header for £5.00. I immediately said yes and was very pleased with the results. However, as time went on I knew I wanted more from my design. I wanted to add social media buttons, a welcome image and pages so it was easy for my readers to find their way around. This is when I roped in the help of Felicity, an amazing blogger who runs her own design shop (find her details in my FAQ page) and she created the design I have today.

Now don't get me wrong, I don't think you HAVE to pay for your blog to be designed, if you're good with HTML and all that technical stuff, give it a go yourself. However, if you're a new blogger and are at the 'how the hell do I do this?' stage, you might want to consider getting some help. I didn't even know people offered blog designs until months after I started blogging but I wish I'd of known sooner instead of going months with my ridiculous DIY photoshop job. So I guess my top tip here would be to do your research and find someone who can help you achieve what you want for a reasonable price. There's SO many talented people out there who do amazing blog designs so don't feel like you have to stick with a design you hate just because you can't edit it yourself. Also, if you design blogs - feel free to leave a comment on this post with the link to your design website/page - I'm sure lots of people would like to know about you!

Content

When I first started writing my blog, I was bursting with ideas and things I wanted to share but had no idea how to express them or make them readable. As you're pretty much talking to yourself when you first start blogging, its very hard to find a style of writing and stick with it. However, my advice for anyone starting a blog would be to write your blog like you're talking to your friends (without the text language - proper English people!). I always find bloggers who write in a friendly and chatty manner much more relatable and sitting down to read their blog is like sitting down with a life-long friend. Also, try to be descriptive when reviewing a product so the people reading your blog get a real feel for what your talking about. For example, instead of saying 'I like the colour of this blush' say 'I really like the shade of this blush, the pink tones compliment my pale skin tone and bring out the colour of my eyes' - it makes things much more interesting and you don't want your readers to get bored of what you're saying. As the old saying goes - content is king!

Also, lots of people worry about how often they should be posting content on their blog and its definitely something that's worried me in the past. There's been so many times when I've felt like I'm not posting enough or not being interesting enough but do you know what, its your blog so post whenever you want. I know for a fact that if I like a blog, I don't care how often they post. Of course its nice to have something regular to read but just because you don't blog seven days a week, it doesn't make you a 'bad' blogger. I'd suggest posting as and when you get the chance, maybe schedule a few posts over the weekend so you have them ready for the week ahead? As long as you aren't going months and months between posts, you'll be fine! Also, if you're lacking inspiration - read other blogs, this always helps me get my blogging mojo back. However, never copy someone else's content and ideas - thats a big no no!

Photography

One of my favourite things about reading blogs and my favourite thing about blogging is photography. For me, photographs bring a post to life and if the quality of them is bad, it can be extremely off-putting. Blurry, out of focus photos instantly put me off reading a blog post - sad but unfortunately true. One thing you have to remember when taking photos for your blog is that people are coming to not only read your review (or whatever it may be) but to SEE the product you're discussing too. If I click on a blog and see an extremely out of focus lipstick with an over exposed swatch, I'm not gaining anything from looking at those images. Make sense? So, what you want to consider is working out the best way you can take high-quality images.

Firstly, always use your own images. Whenever you can, try to avoid using google images of products (unless its in a wish list or something like that). You don't want people to think you're being lazy by not taking your own photos so bare that in mind. Secondly, try to resize them in your blog post so they're all the same size. You can do this by flicking over to the HTML tab in the compose section and editing the height and width numbers. Thirdly, you don't need a flashy camera to take good quality images and you definitely shouldn't feel obliged to buy one just for your blog. I've always had a keen interest in photography and was very lucky to receive a Canon eos 600D as a gift from my dad last year but up until that point I was using a standard £80 digital camera. Yes my DSLR makes it easier for me to capture high quality images but if I was using it incorrectly, they'd still look rubbish. With any camera you own (even your phone if needs be), natural lighting is your best friend. I know its been said time and time again but it really does make a huge difference. I always take my photographs during the day and near a window - this way I can capture every little detail of the product I'm photographing. I also try not using a flash whenever possible as using a flash is known to over-expose images which is definitely not good when photographing makeup.

I also think its important to consider the angles and background you're using for your photos. For example, a photo taken with lots of clutter in the background isn't going to be as visually pleasing as one taken on a clean and clutter-free background. Why not try using a plain piece of white paper, bedding or a wallpaper sample to create a background with? Using something that creates a simple and visually pleasing background for the item your photographing will really benefit your images and your blog. Its also important to make sure you're photographing all aspects of the product too. By this I mean take close-ups of the packaging, the name of the product, get a decent swatch and so on. I find this makes your post a lot more interesting than one front-on shot with no other images to back up what you're saying. Also, if your camera has a macro setting - please use it! Macro settings help the camera pick up detail which then creates a sharper and clearer image.

So, after you've taken your photos - its time to edit them. Lots of people skip this step but I think its hugely important if you want your pictures to look professional. Theres so many free editing websites online and the two I use regularly are iPiccy and PicMonkey. These two websites are amazing for adding that extra bit of finesse to an image. You can use them to crop images, edit the brightness/contract etc but also to add filters, text and banners. You can also create collages which are great for outfit/Instagram diary type posts. There's lots more technical things I could go in to when it comes to photography but this post is already humongous so I might do another post dedicated to blog photography if that interests you?

Social Media & Interaction

Last but certainly not least, I want to give you a few little pointers on the humongous importance of Social Media. When you've set your blog up and got into the swing of writing your posts, its vital you sign up to social media websites. If you want people to find and read your blog - this is a no-brainer. The two websites I'm signed up to and would recommend to every single blogger out there are Bloglovin and Twitter. Of course there's other websites out there but for me, these two are the most important. If you've never used Bloglovin, its a website you sign up too (it takes two minutes) where people can follow your blog and be updated each time you publish a new post. Its great for reading blogs on the go (they have a handy app you can download) and it also gives you 'Top Blogs' and 'Up & Comings' lists which are great for finding new blogs or to be featured on yourself. Twitter is another amazing social networking site for bloggers and thanks to the #bbloggers (beauty bloggers) hash tag I've met and chatted to so many fellow bloggers. Twitter is also where the majority of my page views come from each month so if you aren't signed up already, please do. Tweet about your new posts, follow your favourite bloggers, tweet them and join in the conversation. I'm sure they'd love to hear from you.

Now we've talked Social Media, lets talk about interaction which is another massively important aspect of blogging. One of the biggest tips I could ever offer to another blogger is interact, interact, interact. Leave comments on fellow bloggers posts, follow their blogs, tweet them and let them know you enjoyed their latest post and always respond to those who tweet or email you. Seriously, being a sociable person who is easy to talk to and interact with will get you a long way. After all, if you don't follow other people and leave comments on their posts, how will anyone discover your blog? However, with this being said, please don't spam your link everywhere. Its fine to leave your link if you've left an accompanying thoughtful comment but saying 'hey everyone, come and follow my blog' isn't cool. Also, never think you're better than anybody else. Its so irritating when you read and love a blog only to be ignored by the blogger when you try and contact them. I think its hugely important to be grateful for every single person who clicks onto your little slice of the web as without them, you'd be talking to yourself. No matter how successful your blog becomes, NEVER get too big for your boots, nobody likes a big-headed Betty. At the end of the day, each and every one of us start with zero followers so don't take advantage of the fact you have a few more than someone else. Being ignorant and ungrateful will only come back and bite you on the ass. Be warned ;)One last word of advice from me is try not getting consumed by how many followers you have. One thing I absolutely despise about blogging is how competitive it can become and how may people refer to blogs as 'big' or 'small'. As I just said, everyone starts with zero followers and we're all writing our blogs for the same reason - because we enjoy it and want to share our passion. If someone has more followers than you, thats fine. If somebody has less followers than you, thats cool too. It certainly doesn't mean their blog is better or worse than yours. Blogs are personal to each and every one of us and we should be all proud of what we've achieved, no matter what that pesky little follower number says. Try to remember that and you'll have an amazing time being a blogger!

So there we have it guys, my tips and advice for starting a blog and getting it out there. I realise this post is super long but I had SO much to say and I hope its helped at least one of you reading this. If you're thinking about starting a blog, have just started or have been blogging for a little while and are a little bit lost - I really hope you can take some advice away from this post. As always feel free to get in touch with me if you have any questions on Twitter @k_leexjx or email me at kljohnson1990@gmail.com.

I read your blog religiously and this was just like a religious experience! HAHA! I've gained so much insight and knowledge thanks to you and I've never been more inspired! :) Your blog is amazing, this post is amazing. Keep up the amazing work :) x

This was a great post and i'm sure a lot of people will learn from the advice you have given. I wish I saw a post like this when I first started blogging!

I agree with the point about the comments that people leave. If people leave a comment where they have genuinely read the post etc then I will definitely check out their blog.. if someone just leaves a comment saying 'come and follow my blog' without taking any interest in my posts or my blog then I most probably won't look... how can you expect people to come and follow your blog if you don't make an effort with theirs? It is also soooo nice to see regular readers leaving comments, I love that!

Hi Kimberley! I agree - I was clueless when I first started so I'd of loved to of seen a post like this :)

I totally agree with the comments thing - its so lovely to receive genuine comments and to see that someone has taken the time to really read your post but when they are only comment for a 'follow' its quite irritating!

Kayleigh you have no idea how helpful this post was! I am constantly at logger heads with my blog design and always wanting to change it. I think I'm actually going to find someone to create me a new header :) Great post! Robyn xx www.robsarella.com

I enjoyed reading this so much! Really good tips. I can tell you're coming from I good place and really want to help! I agree with everything, really! I think interaction is so so important! And I wish more people would embrace the "don't get too big for your boots" mentality. I've seen tons of blogs with a bunch of ignored and unanswered comments. I know it's impossible to expect someone to reply to most of their comments if they get a lot but I often see blogs with months worth of ignored comments. And the only replying comments/tweets from other "big" bloggers thing is really sad too :(Keep up the good work, Kayleigh <3xx

Ah I do think replying to comments can be very hard if you're getting a high number of them. I often struggle to reply to them because I don't want to reply to only a few and then ignore the rest due to not having enough time. I work full time so its really hard to squeeze in replying to comments as well as writing posts! I do try though - promise haha! I just make sure people know I'm always willing to answers any tweet/emails as thats a quicker way for me to respond, if that makes sense?

Totally agree about the 'big' blogger tweeting thing - its so ridiculous! I reply to everyone who tweets me, no matter the size of their blog!

This post is very well written :) & i love reading these type of posts :)you have gave a lot of handy & useful information to new & existing bloggers.

I started my blog round about when you did & i've enjoyed blogging much recently than i had when i started cause i didn't want anyone to read or find it :/ however having twitter has helped me interact more with other people & bloggers :)I love that you've took the time out from your weekend to post advice to fellow bloggers :) i love that you still reply to comments even if you get hundreds! :)

This is such a great post lovely! I completely agree about Twitter, it's so important to connect with other bloggers and get involved in the community; it's actually one of the main things that I enjoy about blogging! Really helpful tips :)xxx

Fantastic post Kayleigh! I think this would be so helpful to many of the newer bloggers out there! And I totally agree with you about photos - the first thing that attracts me to someone's blog are the photos - I won't even read the post half the time if the photos are crap! I just love seeing beautiful images and it's also obvious hard work has been put in when you see good photos - which just makes me want to read their blog even more!

Kayleigh, you don't know how helpful this has been! I've just started a beauty blog and it definitely helps knowing I'm not the only one who's going/gone through the "I'm lost" phase. Thanks for sharing your tips, really. I love your blog :)

Fantastic post kayleigh! I would love to see a photography post as in what settings you use etc etc as your photo are amazing! I never knew about the html thing to make all your images the same size on a blog post and it always bothers me so thank you for putting that in :) x

This is such a beautiful and helpful post! I will definitely be taking on your tips and advice! As a fairly new blogger I love reading these types of posts so thanks a lot for sharing this with us all!

You always make such amazing posts! :) I was looking everywhere for a post like this when I first started my blog but I couldn't find any good one's I wish this post was around when I started my blog :)

I found this post really helpful,I've recently started my own blog,and these tips have really helped,my photos could improve though as I have to take them on my tablet and its very hard to take high quality ones..would luv if you checked it out and see what you think?thanks kayleigh:-) Www.beautybloggerddglitz.blogspot.ie

Fabulous post missy I loved reading your tips and I'm just like you and love reading posts like this and reading about another bloggers journey. This post is such an inspiration and I'm sure will insipre so many others... FABULOUS ;)

Fab post Kayleigh, it's great to get other bloggers tips, even when you're not such a blogging newbie! Definitely agree about interacting, it's so disappointing when bloggers ignore their followers! xx

really great post Kayleigh! :) there's a reason why Couture Girl is so succesful and I think you've pinpointed why right here! Such brill tips, really helpful :) would love too see your photography tips, your photos are some of the best out there! :) xxxx

Hi!This post is really helpful. I only started my blog two months ago and I'm still looking for advice. Sometimes it's hard for me to write my posts and express myself, not because I don't know what I want to say, it's because I'm not english and I don't know if the things I write make any sense when I start translating, and this may cause confusion to my readers. I think this is why interaction is a "problem" for me, but I try! Really! Leaving and replying comments helps a lot.

I think the design of your blog is important too. For me it shows your personality (kind of). I love going through blogs and see different colour schemes and headers.This is why I've created a little design "shop", you can take a look here if you want to http://craftyowl93.blogspot.com.es/p/blog-page.html .I'm studying graphic design now and I'm glad if I can help someone with their blogs.

Amazing post! I really enjoyed reading it. You gave me a reason not to stop blogging. It's a bit frustrating to blog for almost two years and not getting the response from people. I know it's not all about numbers but it does feel pretty good to see some new readers. :)x

This is such a fantastic post! I would have loved to read this a year ago when I started my blog it would have been so handy :D Its still really handy for now (you learn new stuff every day!) I hate it when people have bad photos too it just puts me off! I really want to start using twitter more for my blog but I dont really want people from my school who follow me also seeing my tweets to bloggers, if you know what I mean! I get you when you say about people getting to big for their boots! When you comment on try contact them bloggrs it feels like you talking to a brick wall hahaha! I really love your blog and Im going to follow you now :)xSofia xhttp://somethingaboutsophia.blogspot.ie/

WOW, this was just an amazing post Kaleigh! I seriously agree with pretty much everything you've said. I wish I knew this stuff when I started out blogging because it took me FOREVER to understand even the simplest of thing! :)

Thanks for the great advice. I have been blogging since last august but I'm only just finding out what is important to me. It occurred to me that my post start to be doing a little dance all over the place and I needed to think about where I really wanted to go with it.Please check out my blog and let me know what you think: http://savagegem.wordpress.com/

Thank you for this! I have learned a few things from your post and been reminded of things I've read from others bloggers too. Like you I enjoy reading the advice for new bloggers. I'm relatively new as I only started back in December 2012.

I do think about how to get traffic to my page but I am doing my homework and making my mark on twitter and other social networks. At the same time I keep working on my blog itself -- layout, photos, the writing.

I seem to have a problem adding the Google Friend Connect and currently have Google+. I really need to figure that out.

This is a really helpful post, It's taken me a while to get the hang of this blogging malarky but I've been enjoying it so far :)I love your views on how everyone in the blogging community should treat everyone with the same respect, it's not nice feeling ignored just because your blog is new.The photography section was really helpful, I didn't even know my camera has a macro setting but apparently it does so I'm going to be trying that out soon :)Rosalie xrosaliejayne.blogspot.co.uk

That was such a helpful post! I only started blogging in january and found it really hard to settle into it all and figure out what I was doing! You have some really great tips on the layout and content of blogs etc- I'll definitely be taking them onboard when editing mine and I'd also love to find someone to help me design my blog too as I'm completely useless with technology!Katie xxx

Such a helpful post, thank you so much. I've had a blog for around 5 years now (starting it during university - procrastinating!) but it's only been in the last few days that I've really started paying attention to it. I did a huge overhaul of the design and layout so hopefully now it's more pleasing to the eye. Thanks again xx

Your blog is really inspiring! I really enjoyed reading this post, I've been blogging for around five months now, and although I have page views, I don't have followers. What I didn't realise until I read this post is that I needed the GFC widget, so people can actually follow me, so thankyou so much for including this information, this post has really helped me,

This is the best blog advice post by far! Some people just cover the top part of blogging, but you went in depth with It. Thank you for doing this post. I would love to read a post about blog photography! And I hate it when people just comment saying check out my blog it just seems like there only out there to get followers and become popular.Mirandamirandarue.wordpress.com

I loved reading this! I've been on blogger since summer 2011 and still have so much to learn, so this was really, really helpful! It's so inspiring to see how far you've come in such a short space of time; I can only hope that mine shall continue to grow too!

Great post Kayleigh. You covered everything perfectly :) I must admit - your blog is amazing and I would love to see you on youtube one day. I know that people would LOVE your channel! Just saying... :) x

Hi Kayleigh! This blog post has really helped me out as I am a a new blogger, I have since signed up to BlogLovin' (thank you!) I would really appreciate it if you could give my blog a read if you have time and maybe give me your opinion on what could be improved? :)

I only recently started following you on twitter few weeks and have spent HOURS trawling your past blogs and...just wow! YOU have inspired me to start my own blog something I've wanted to do for a while but never knew where to start so thank you this post was fab. Please check my new blog out http://Kayleighsbeautyfix.blogspot.com. Great way to meet lots of other new bloggers too reading this post :) Kayleigh x

I'm just wondering, did it just gradually increase or were there things that happened (a particular post giving you attention or some other bloggers mentioning you etc.) that gave you big jumps in terms of followers? I'm just so amazed that you have so many readers in such a short space of time, well done!

Excellent post! Just recently started my blog but feel as though I have been indirectly blogging for years, by babbling on at friends about what I love and am inspired by. Thank you for the great advice!

I just came across your blog from the popular posts page on bloglovin. I AM SO GLAD I CLICKED THROUGH <3 I love the honesty and humility you convey in this post. I really agree with the points you brought up, especially in the end. Say hello to a new follower!

This is an amazing post Kayleigh, it's clear you've put loads of effort into it and I've found it the most helpful blogging tips post I've ever read :) I've just started 2 new blogs (1 fashion 1 beauty) as the one I'd been working on just wasn't working as it had bad memories for me from Uni so I thought it was time for a fresh start :) I really enjoyed the photography tips as that's what I always struggle with, particularly lighting as I tend to have to take my photo's in the evening :( Really excited to have a look at the photo editing sites you recommended :)Thank you so much for all of the helpful advice <3Love Holly x

This is THE most helpful/motivating post I have read of this sort. I have been blogging for a little longer than you have and recently found myself concentrating on views and followers way more than I'd like to. You helped me get my "morals" back and realise that it doesn't matter how many read my blog. All that matters is that I enjoy writing it! Thank you, thank you! xx Em

Really enjoyed this post, some really thoughtful words and great tips that I'll definitely be taking on board. I started my current blog after having been blogging for 2 year prior under a different blog name and it has been really refreshing starting brand new again. Your advice in this post is wonderfully useful! xx

After constantly reading your blog I have finally decided to do one! And it's a bloody minefield! This really helped though and hopefully I can help people with their queries about professional beauty treatments and products in no time!(definitely going to take some time!! :-P Thankyouuuuu!!!

I've been reading your blog for a few weeks now and it inspired me to create my own blog. Classes are over and I always need a hobby to keep me busy or I go insane lol. This blog post is so handy and I'm so grateful you shared awesome blog tips. I was so lost! I'm still slightly lost, but finding the light day by day. :)

Thank you,Ash

P.S. Here is the blog that I started www.voraciousreviewsforyou.blogspot.com

Hi, this is a really helpful post, thank you! I've just recently joined the world of Blogging and I too am a complete techna-phobe and have been having similar struggles with designing my page, it's not quite there yet but I'm slowly getting my head around it all. The other day I did a celebration dance in my room after successfully adding social media icons on my page!

Thanks again for such an informative post, I feel like you've saved me a lot of struggle :)

Thanks for this post :) I am so pleased I came accross this post as I have now got some good ideas from this post on how to hell me create pretty designs for my blog I started a few weeks ago. Please could you check out my blog (and some of your subscribers too) and follow me and I will follow back. I have followed this blog as I love it?

The lifestyle habits that children undertake are those that are lead by their parents. The environment in which the family lives will determine the habits of each child and individual within the family.

Hi, I've been enjoying your blog for a while now and recalled seeing your post about blogging tips all those months ago and having re-read over your post today I've decided to make my own blog eek! Thanks for your great advice (as a techno/blog newbie I'm glad blogger isn't too overly complicated to use!) Xx

I love reading posts like this and I found it surprising that you're actually open to helping out new bloggers, I feel like most people wouldn't do that due to email overflow.. But its posts like this that remind me, building a community takes time. I just started my blog about a week ago and I've already fallen in love with idea of people reading what I have to say and taking interest in my posts. I love commenting back to the little comments I get and realizing that my post helped them out, even if it was just giving them something to do. I feel like you really make a connection with your readers, you definitely know what you're doing! Thankyou.

Hi, just thought I'd say thank you so much for this post. I have recently started my blog using blogger, after using tumblr before, but found blogger quiet overwhelming to start with. I read your blog alot but just recently saw this post. It really helped me with the basics and inspired me to not be shy about the whole thing and just get stuck in. I think starting out is the hardest thing but once you get over the scary thought of it all you can really start to enjoy it. Thank you again, Anna madeupstyle.blogspot.co.uk

This post has been super helpful for me. I literally just published my blog today but I used Wix instead of Blogger. I discovered blogger a little bit too late and couldn't bring myself to starting my blog all over again so I just went with it and it turned out to be really useful. Thanks for this amazing post! http://littlemiss99.wix.com/littlemiss

Whew! That was an epic blog post - some really helpful tips. I've only just started blogging and some aspects such as joining certain sites (Google+ im looking at you) iv found very confusing. Thanks for the pointers!

Amazing post! I started blogging more frequently in the last 2 months and I have faced all the problems you have and I think every blogger starting out has. It's so much fun blogging and I hope to learn as I go along :) I will also get in touch with Felicity I think as I too have changed my layout and still find it hard to feel content. Great read. Will be keeping a look out for future posts by you xx

Thank you for the tips! I am trying to blog more frequently after a long hiatus! I hope that you could drop by and take a look and let me know areas that I can improve on. Also, I graduated from Journalism too! :)

I love reading your comments, they make my day!! I always try my best to answer any questions but would recommend tweeting (@k_leexjx) or emailing me (kljohnson1990@gmail.com) if you want to ask me anything inparticular or have a general chat. Thanks for visiting my blog, it's highly appreciated!! Xx.